Shelters



Sept. 9, 1969 H. DiETZ 3,

SHELTERS Filed D60. 13, 1967 INVENTOR HENRY D\ETZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,465,765 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 U.S. Cl. 135-3 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An easily transportable tent-like garage or storage shelter for vehicles or boats.

The shelter comprises a stationary portion and a movable portion. The movable portion has a closed position and an open position. The movable portion has a peripheral bottom piece that is contiguous to the ground in the closed position and is substantially normal to the ground in the open position. The stationary portion comprises an arcuate section that fits completely within the movable portion in the open position.

My invention relates to improvements in shelters, and more particularly to shelters for vehicles such as automobiles, boats, tractors, golf carts, or the like.

Vehicle shelters known in the art have in the past been either in the nature of tarpaulins thrown over the vehicle or have been costly and expensive garages. There is a need for such shelters that can be easily set up and removed but are more effective, decorative and permanent than tarpaulins.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a hinged structure, having a portion thereof arranged to be lifted to permit the vehicle to be driven into the enclosure, and lowered after the vehicle is enclosed therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described, that is not portable, or collapsible, and may be constructed of any rigid rods for supporting the sheet covering forming the enclosure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device that may be held in position by the weight of the vehicle or the like, that is disposed therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide an assembled unit, that may be actuated by a lever and spring arrangement of any conventional design.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art, that quite frequently there is a paucity of under cover storage space for vehicles, boats, golf carts, or the like, to protect them from the elements. It is the purpose of this invention to provide a device that may be easily transported to and set up at any convenient location. The inventive device may be constructed of any light weight material, and may be nested into one another for transportation. It may be hingedly arranged and operated by any conventional lever and spring arrangement.

The device is simple in construction, economical to manfacture, and easy to manipulate for the purpose for which it is intended.

Other and further objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the device in a closed position, showing the vehicle in phantom.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the device as shown in FIG. 1, but in an open position, to enable the vehicle shown in phantom to be driven into, or backed out of the shelter.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the device in an open position, as taken at the line 33 in FIG. 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a composite perspective view of the two sections, separated one from the other before being hingedly attached to one another.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts and features, and referring now to the same, the character 10 shows generally a stationary portion of the shelter, equipped with a horizontally disposed base plate 11, onto which the vehicle shown generally as 12 rests, as shown at 13 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

A movable section 14, is hingedly attached at 15 to the stationary section 10, and may be moved upward, or downward as is indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 2..

Both sections 10 and 14 are framed sections designed to be covered with sheet material (not shown), which may be in the form of plastic, cloth, or any other pliable material, to protect the vehicle 12 from the elements when it is disposed within the confines of the device.

The section 10 of the unit is provided with a fiat horizontal plate 11, so the weight of the vehicle 12 will retain the shelter in a fixed position on any pre-determined location or surface, and the unit 14 is equipped with a pe ripheral fiat plate 16 which rests on the surface of the shelter location while the entire unit is in a closed position to shelter the vehicle disposed therein.

The frame comprises arcuate supports shown as 17 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 may be flat bands of material such as plastic, or aluminum, joined or welded in any convenient manner as shown at 18 to keep the supports 17 in alignment with one another while FIG. 4 shows another embodiment wherein supports 19 are constructed of tubes, or wire, and attached to one another as shown at 20.

Obviously the purpose of all the supports 17, or 19, is to support the sheet material (not shown), which when attached to the various supports in any convenient and efficient manner, will form the enclosure to protect the vehicle from the elements.

The two sections 10 and 14, are hingedly attached to one another as shown at 15, in any convenient and efi"1-' cient manner so they may be disassembled from one another for transportation.

If desired, a conventional lever such as is shown as 21 may be used, and if desired a spring action of conventional design may be employed to assist the user in lifting the section 14 when the vehicle 12 is to be entered or removed.

From the above description, it will become apparent that the device is designed to perform a definite purpose, that of providing a shelter for a vehicle or the like from the elements. It is simple in construction, easy to manipulate, and highly efiicient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Although I have shown a specific construction and arrangement of the parts, I am fully cognizant of the fact that many changes may be made in the parts and their arrangement without effecting their operativeness, and I reserve the rights to make such changes as I may deem convenient or necessary, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A shelter for vehicles, or the like,

said shelter comprising a stationary enclosed portion and a movable enclosed portion,

said stationary enclosed portion comprising an arcuate section having an opening at one end thereof,

said movable enclosed portion comprising an arcuate framework having an open end which is larger than the open end of said stationary enclosed portion, said framework including a peripheral ground engaging base member and arcuate ribs fixed at their ends to said base member to form a permanent frame for supporting pliable material in a tent-like fashion,

3 4 the arcuate rib adjacent the open end of the movable ing said movable portion comprises a lever attached to enclosed portion being substantially normal to the said movable portion, and spring means for counterbalbase member and providing means hingedly mounting ancing said movable portion. said movable enclosed portion to the open end of the stationary enclosed portion in overlapping relation 5 References C t themwlth UNITED STATES PATENTS and means for moving said movable enclosed portion between a horizontal position completing a shelter 2,992,649 7/1961 Swallow.

for a vehicle or the like to a substantially vertical position with the stationary enclosed portion nested 10 FOREIGN T P within the upstanding movable enclosed portion. 928, 6/1963 Great Brltaln- 2. The shelter of claim 1 wherein said stationary por- 986,002 3/1951 Francetion is equipped with a horizontally disposed plate for 1,313,259 11/1962 Franceretaining said shelter in a fixed position without attaching KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner said shelter to the ground and wherein said plate extends 15 beyond the opening of said stationary enclosed portion. Us, CL X R 3. The shelter of claim 2 wherein said means for mov- 52 67; 135 1 

